Reviewed by Bill Breakstone, January 12, 2011
Tom Clancy’s latest novel, “Dead or Alive,” is a 950-page monster, his 14th in a series that began with his classic “Hunt for Red October,” published way back in 1984. I’ve read 13 of these books, all but “Teeth of the Tiger,” and enjoyed them all. My last Clancy read was in 2000, thus it was a pleasure to return to most of the old characters, with a few new ones tossed in.
Dead or Alive is a complicated, many-layered tale of terrorism and the intelligence efforts to thwart a plot that if successful would send the United States back to the dark ages.
The terrorists are led by The Emir, a Saudi Arabian by birth, and a direct duplicate of our own Osama bin Laden. He has formulated plans to strike at six international targets, the final masterstroke being a nuclear attack on a facility near the West Coast.
Working to solve this complicated terrorist puzzle are the personnel of “The Campus,” a compilation of clandestine intelligence assets organized by former President Jack Ryan, to which his former spooks John Clark and Domingo Chavez have recently been recruited. Also on board is Ryan’s son, Jack, Jr, who has inherited all of his father’s intuition and skills in the intelligence community.
Despite its massive size, Dead or Alive is a fast and thrilling read, though perhaps not for those squeamish at heart. There is violence galore, chases, counterplots, and tales of tragedy and courage. And, there will no doubt be a sequel, which will be more political in nature. Now that is something to look forward to!
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